Holidays

Dishing It: A Festive Martini for any Martini Lover

December 17, 2010 at 10:43 am , by Gabrielle Porcaro

Back in October, I decided to make The Pioneer Woman’s Holiday Pom Cocktail, featured in our December/January issue, for all the holiday parties I would be invited to in December. Turns out I was only invited to 1 party… guess I am not as popular as I was last year!

The party was at my dear friend Jess’ apartment in the West Village. Her apartment is very nice and has very light colored furniture. Immediately I thought: klutzy me + red colored drink + light furniture =  disaster! I promised myself that I would not leave the kitchen with the drink and neither would anyone else drinking it. I reassured my friend who didn’t seem too concerned (did she not remember all the times I spilled diet coke during our art history lectures in college?!?)  I also brought straws- just to be extra safe!

I lugged all the ingredients cross-town to the party. The only thing I didn’t have was the sanding sugar, so I put real sugar around my solo cup. Oh yeah I didn’t have martini glasses either. Note to those making the drink: Do as I say, not as I do… put more emphasis on presentation! It matters. Why make a fancy cocktail if you aren’t going to use a fancy glass!

Anyway, I thought it came out pretty good and the few who braved the crowded kitchen thought the same. Any martini and pomegranate lover would be pleased. It’s easy and delicious and worth making.

Please note: none of the pictures I took that night was acceptable, which was too bad because I wearing my New Year’s sequined jacket. The shot above is of me drinking an equally delicious drink at our company holiday party in front of a pianist with a funny chair… Cheers and Happy Holidays!

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Go Ask Gab: What I’m Giving This Year

December 14, 2010 at 2:35 pm , by Gabrielle Porcaro

I love giving gifts almost as much as I love getting them. We gave you some great gifts ideas in the magazine and online, but here’s what I’m buying this holiday season!

My Best Friend Who Has Everything: A girl who has it all is always a tough person to shop for, but coffee table books are a safe bet. This year I think a wonderful gift is the Barbie Fashion Model book. As a person who is impossible to shop for, I would love this book (I have a weird obsession with Barbie and doll images… I have a collection).

My Football Fanatic Brother-in-Law: The minute I saw this toaster that imprints the logo of your favorite team on your toast, I knew I needed to get this for him (he’s a huge Dallas Cowboys fan). I like that the toaster design is sleek so my sister won’t get mad at me for uglying-up her kitchen.

My Adorable Nephew: He asked Santa for cars, trucks, toys and pots and pans (seriously how cute!). Of course I will get him toys but I will also be picking up some practical gifts like clothes (of course). Mini Boden,  The Children’s Place and The Gap always have the best stuff for boys.

My Pregnant Older Sister:  I always like to give gifts that give back so I think getting a pair of Toms for my sister is perfect. The gold ones would be great because they’re an easy way to look chic while you’re pregnant and chasing after a 2-year-old.

My Twin Sister: She is in the process of buying an apartment so I thought I would get her some art for her walls. I made her something (yes, I am bit of an artist!) and I also plan on getting her this Shining-inspired poster. Creepy twins… perfect!

My Fabulous Mom: My mom is hard to shop for so I will check out one of her favorite stores, Talbots. I’m thinking she could use a new pair of gloves and this pretty necklace.

My Wino Dad: Just joking—he just loves his wine. I’m getting him some of my new favorite, affordable wine: “Red” from the St Francis Winery. Not only is it good, but it’s inexpensive and has nice packaging too… very Pollack-eque, no?

Hostess Gifts: I’m stopping by a few holiday parties this year so I’m going to grab some of these Marimekko bread baskets. I love them! (In fact I’m going to keep one for myself to store all my bracelets in… One woman’s bread is another woman’s bracelets.)

The Best Boss in the Whole World: Um, considering she works here… I’m not telling! But it will be something cool for her new home from one of the following places: Anthropologie, Johnathan Adler or Etsy.

So what gifts are you buying this year?

** Pink Santa photo taken by me at Hotel Shangri-La, Santa Monica, CA!

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Cheat Sheet: Go Ahead and Watch a Christmas Movie

December 10, 2010 at 12:59 pm , by Catherine LeFebvre

The Internets were a little quiet this week, which can only mean one thing: Christmas is coming! Instead of surfing for entertainment on the web, why not curl up with a Christmas movie this weekend? Some of my favorites:

Elf: “Santa! I KNOW him!”

A Christmas Story: “The Holy Grail of Christmas Gifts”

Love Actually: “All I Want for Christmas Is You”

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: “250 Strands of Lights”

It’s a Wonderful Life: “An Angel Got Its Wings”

A Charlie Brown Christmas: “O Christmas Tree”

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Can This Marriage Be Saved? I Can’t Stand the Holidays

December 9, 2010 at 4:40 pm , by Jennifer Castoro

The holiday season seems to mean something different to everyone. Some love the revelry and host over-the-top celebrations, and some mark the season quietly and without much fanfare. No matter what your personal preference, it’s pretty tough to avoid reminders of the holidays. From TV ads with dancing elves to store circulars urging you to drop your cash on the latest and greatest, there’s a lot of ho-ho-hoing going on. So what happens when, for whatever reason, you can’t stand this jolly time of year?

The couple in this week’s Can This Marriage Be Saved? post, originally featured in our December 2003 issue,  is dealing with that very issue. Kim, a 36-year-old music teacher who’s married to Steve, a 46-year-old postal worker, feels depressed and anxious about the season, while her husband loves the holidays and insists on grand family celebrations. Listen in.

Kim’s side: She’d prefer to spend the entire season in bed. Not a natural hostess, Kim feels pressured to make the holidays “perfect” for Steve and the family, even though she doesn’t get along well with his kids from his first marriage. Her stepdaughter’s husband is rude and sarcastic to her, and Steve doesn’t say a word. She’s gone along with the traditions for the 10 years they’ve been married but finally outlawed the celebrations, and she ruled out holiday treats because as a recovered bulimic, she can’t handle the sweets in the house. Her childhood was tough: After her father died when she was young, her mother was physically abusive. She’s also exhausted from working seven-day weeks, and their sex life is kaput. Read more

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25 Secret Weapons to Stamp Out Holiday Stress

November 16, 2010 at 4:47 pm , by Ladies' Lounge

Why is it that time always seems to speed up during the holiday season (does everyone else realize that Thanksgiving is next week?!)? It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but it goes so fast, and it gets more than a little hectic.

Our friends over at The Motherboard put together this holiday survival guide. It’s got 25 sneaky ways to shop smart, reduce the stress, and get ready for a happy, healthy holiday. Read it now and hopefully it’ll help you slow down the season.

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Claire Robinson’s 5 Tips for Planning the Perfect Holiday Party

November 15, 2010 at 9:30 am , by Sonia Harmon

Are you in holiday party planning mode yet? Don’t stress, Food Network’s Claire Robinson is here to help! In our December 2010/January 2011 issue she offers five easy-to-make appetizer recipes from her book, 5 Ingredient Fix—now she’s sharing her five tips for planning a successful holiday party.

Offer a variety of foods. “With most meals, you’ll never please everybody,” she says. “But the great thing about appetizers and hors d’oeuvres is that it’s your one chance to have little bites of food that please everybody.” Claire likes to offer meat and vegetarian options, as well as hot and cold food that you can either dip or pop into your mouth.

Keep the atmosphere relaxed and casual. “I find that the best holiday parties are the ones that are a little more low-key. You can let the food be fancy or let guests dress up if they want, but just let it be a casual event and everybody can have a good time.”

Have drinks and at least one appetizer ready for when guests arrive. “I always like to have a signature cocktail and one nibble ready ahead of time to greet people with, because even if you’re wrapping up in the kitchen, there’s still one thing that’s ready to go.”

Spread the appetizer plates around the room. “I like to place the appetizers in a few different spots, because there’s nothing worse than everybody hovering over one bowl of nuts. It also helps keep your guests moving around the room.”

Don’t be afraid to make your own centerpieces. “It could be as simple as filling a vase with a bunch of inexpensive candy canes instead of spending a fortune on flowers. I’ve done everything from putting extra baguettes in big vases to putting fresh herbs in small glasses on the center of the table.”

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Welcome To Our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway!

November 15, 2010 at 6:01 am , by Ladies' Lounge

This year we decided to get a huge gift for you, our awesome readers: We’re giving away every single product in our 2010 LHJ.com Gift Guide. Yep, you read that right! One lucky winner will score everything from one of our 8 categories. Click each image below to enter to win that mega-prize. Good luck, and a very happy holidays to you from all of us here at the Ladies’ Lounge!

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